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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title created in 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike's daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Core Narrative

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and in any business.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the UK.